Mellow Yellow

New ball heals rift between giants

La grande boule

Skilled craftsmanship

Donovan: Quite rightly

Fierce rivals Arsenal and Manchester United have reconciled their bitter feud that has blighted the back pages over recent weeks. The Nike shirt-wearing clubs have put the unsavoury goings-on at old Trafford last month behind them and cite the introduction of the new yellow ball in this weekend's premiership matches as the reason.

Car salesman

"The ball is beautiful and much better than the last one" said Manchester United midfielder and Nike boot-wearing Paul Scholes. "It's superb and really ignited my va-va-voom" said Arsenal striker and Nike boot-wearing Thierry Henry.

Swish shop

Nike spokesman, Rik Smarm, told the Onion Bag "The new ball's colour was chosen by Zen Bhuddist monks to promote a spirit of harmony in those who play with it." Indeed both clubs seem to have chilled out immeasurably - so much so that neither could be bothered to win their respective matches at the weekend (Oh really? - Ed).

"And look at the fine quality of the stitching" continued Smarm, "you only get from the tiny, nimble fingers of Pakistani street children."

Ho ho ho

He went on to give us some pseudo-scientific babble about it being easier to see in wintry conditions. He vehemently denied that the new ball is simply a cheap marketing stunt to flog some extra balls to impressionable children for Christmas only for it to disappear forever come February.

Sp3ktor